2. THE HOYSALAS

The Hoysalas, whose kingdom included modern Mysore, were staunch Jainas
and their rule which spread over a period of more than three centuries (
1006 to 1345 A.D.) forms the brightest chapter in the history of medieval
Karnatka. The rulers of Hoysala dynasty steadfastly followed Jainisim and
actually patronised it because the vary foundation of the Hoysala rule was
laid by the efforts of a Jaina ascetic teacher. It is recorded in the
inscriptions at Sravana-Belagola that the progenitor of the Hoysala
dynasty was Sala, an eponymous hero, who was a dvout Jaina. On a certain
occasion, we are told, he went to worship at the temple of his family
deity at the temple of his family deity at Sosavura. After worship he came
to his ascetic teacher, Sudatta Vardhamana, to receive religious
instruction. While he was receiving instructions, a fierce tiger came out
of the forest and flared at them with rage. At this sage said to Sala with
reference to the fierce tiger ï¿½Poy Salaï¿½ ( i.e. strike it, Sala): and from
this circumstance Sala adopted the Sageï¿½s words as his name, i.e.ï¿½ Poysala
or Hoysala, as also the tiger crest. In this way the utterance of the Guru
Hoy (Poy) Salaï¿½ itself became the name of the dynasty and this dynasty
succeeded in expelling the cholas from Mysore region and in establishing
its rule in the 11th century. Thus, just as the great Jaina saint Achaya
Simhanandi helped in establishing the Ganga Kingdom in the 4th century
A.D. and used to give advice to kongunivarman I, the first Ganga king,
siomilary the renowned and politically conscious Jaina saint Acharya
Sudatta guided the foundation of the Hoysala Kingdom in the 11th centry
A.D. and took a prominent part in the administration of the Hoysalas.

From the inscriptions it is clear that the first three Hoysala rulers,
viz., Sala, the founder, his son Vinayaditya I ( 1016-1022 A. D. ) and the
latterï¿½s Niripa Kama ( 1022-1047 A.D.) were under the spiritual guidance
of Acharya Sudatta. The fourth Hoysala ruler Vinayaditta II ( 1047-1098
A.D.) was a staunch devotee of the Jaina saga Santideva who had been
respectfully mentioned in Inscription No. 67 dated 1128 A.D. at
Sravana-Belagola in the following terms : ï¿½ Who is able to describe ï¿½such
and suchï¿½ is the ability of the ascetic Santideva, having worshipped whose
pair of feet, the Hoysala king Vinayaditta brought the goodess of wealth
to the territory under his rule?ï¿½ What King Vinayaditta II did as a Jaina,
obviously on the advice of his preceptor Santideva, is described ion a
stone record found in the Gandhavarana-Basti ( Viz. Inscription No. 143,
dated 1131 A.D.) at Sravana-Belagola, in the following words, ï¿½ King
Vinayaditta glady made any number of tanks and temples, any numbers of
Jina shrines, any number of nadus ( or districts, ), villages and
subjectsï¿½. The erection of Jaina temples by Vinayaditta, the great
builder, is thus described: ï¿½The pits dug for bricks became tanks, the
mountain s quarried for stone became level with ground, the roads by which
the mortarcarts passed became revainess; thus did King Poysala caused
Jaina temple to be built. ï¿½ There are many inscriptions found at other
places that reveal the utmost care with which King Vinayaditta II, looked
after Jaina interests.

Ereyanga ( 1098-1102 A.D.), the son and successor of Vinayadata II, was
the devoted disciple of Jaina Saint Gopanandi whose qualifications was
achievements are graphically described in s stone inscription at Hale-Belagola
dated 1094 A.D. King Ereyanga granted village Rachanahalla and the
Belagola 12 for the repairs hill, i.e., temples in the holy place round
the Kalbappu hill, i.e., the Katavapra or Chandragiri hill at
Sravana-Belagola. It is also mentioned in king Ereyanga ï¿½caused the Jaina
religion, which had for a long time been at a stand still, to attain the
prosperity and fame of the Ganga Kingsï¿½.

King Ballaia I ( 1102-1108 A.D. ), the eldest son of King Ereyanga, was
disciple of Jaina gure, Panditadeva Charukirti, whose accomplishments are
mentioned in stone inscriptions dated 1938 A.D. and 1432 A.D. These are
the Siddhesvara basti records of Sravana-Belagola and they depict gure
Charukirtisï¿½s proficiency in medicine as well. It is stated therein that
ï¿½When King Ballala was verily in a moribund condition through severe
illness, he quickly restored him to healthï¿½. Even the air that had but
touched his body cured diease; was it much (then) that his medicine cured
King Ballala of his disease?ï¿½

Bitti-deva ( 1108 ï¿½ 1142 A.D.), who later adopted the name Vishnuvardhana,
was one the most brilliant monarch of Karnataka. He was a great king and
his achievements both in war and in peace were very remarkable. Many of
the notable victories which marked his rule were son by his great Jaina
generals. King Vishnuvardhanaï¿½s reign was also important from the point of
his continued support to Jainism inspite of his alleged conversion from
Jainism to Vaishnavism in 1116 A.D. under the influence of the great
Acharya Ramanuja, whi, to escape presecution at the hands Acharya Ramanuja,
who, to escape persecution it appears unfounded as none of the numerous
inscriptions of this king contains any reference to this event and even
mentions the influence of Acharya Ramanuja on the king. Even after about
1125 A.D., when Acharya Ramanuja is supposed to have left Mysore region,
king Vishnuvardhana made grants to Jaina teachers like Sripala
Vishnuvardhana made grants to Jaina teachers like Sripala Travidyavrati
and saw merit in the consecration of the image of Parsvantha. Another
stone inscription at Belur dated 1129 A.D. commemorates a gift to the
Basti named ï¿½ Malli Jinalayaï¿½ by the same king Vishnuardhana. Further, it
is recorded that when the famous Parsvantha Jaina temple was built in the
Hoysala capital city by one his many great Jaina generals, King
Vishnuvardhana christened his sonprince Vijay Narasimhadeva after the god
Vijaya Parasvadeva and granted the village of Javagal for a Jaina temple
in the capital Dorasmudra near Halebid. All these records cleary reveal
that King Vishnuvardhana, whatever his patronage to Vaishnavism may have
been, continued till the end of his rule to be pious ï¿½Bhavyaï¿½, ( Jaina
house-holder.)

Queen Santala-Devi, the eldest and principal wife of King Vishnuvardhana,
was undoubtedly of Jaina enthusiast and played a prominent role in the
history of Jainism in Karnatka. The inscription No. 132 of
Sravana-Belagola records the erection in 1123 A.d. of the famous temple
ï¿½Savatigandhavarana-Bastiï¿½ on the Chandragire Hills by Queen Santala-Devi.
The same inscription eulogises Queen Santala-Devi thus: The eldest
daughter of Marasinga and Machikabbe, she was to king Vishnu the Goddness
of victory in battle, the Godness of Fame spreading to the remoting points
of the compass the greatness of his valour.ï¿½ Among the epithets applied to
her are : ï¿½ a Brihaspati in discrimination, a Vachaspati in ready wit, the
cause of the elevation of the four ï¿½Samayasï¿½ or creeds, an expert in
singing instrumental music and dancing, a rempart to the Jaina faith a
rutting elephant to ill-mannered co-wives ( ï¿½udvritta-savatigandhavaraneï¿½)ï¿½.
The last epithet is interesting as the temple founded by her on the
Chandragirei hill was named after it, i.e., ï¿½Savati-ganhavarana Bastiï¿½.
She endowed the temple with a village and certain lands, which she
lpresented to her Jaina teacher, and saind Prabhachandra, after washing
his feet. She died in 1131 A.D. at Sivaganga. Her mother Machikabbe,
resolving not to survive after the death of her daughter, went to
Sravana-Belagola and, fasting for one month, died by the Jaina rite of ï¿½Sallekhanaï¿½,
in the presence of her teachers, the saints Prabhachandra, Vardhamana and
Ravichandra. In the Inscription No. 143 several verses are devoted to
glorifying her self-sacrifice and severe penance.

King Narasimha I ( 1142-1173 A.D.), the third son and successor of
Vishnuvardhana, carried on the tradition of Hoysala kings. King Narasimha
gave the name ï¿½Bhavya-Chudamani-Bastiï¿½ to the famous ï¿½Chaturvimsati-
Tirthankara-Bastiï¿½ built by his General Hulla-Raja in the village of
Sravana-Belagola in the year 1159 A.D. and granted for its upkeep the
village Savaneur. The temple is popularly known as ï¿½Bhandari Bastiï¿½, since
Hulla-Raja was also ï¿½Bhandariï¿½ or treasurer of King Narasimha I.

King Ballaia II or Vira-Ballala I ( 1173-1220 A.D.) oranised the Kingdom
upon a footing of peace and prosperity and like his predecssors showed
marked favour to the spread of Jainism. His titles an achievements are
given in Inscription Nos. 327 and 335, at Sravana-Belagola. It is evident
from Inscription No. 240, dated 1175 A.D. that the king gave his
conformation to the grant of three villages made by his father King
Narashimha I for temples of Gommatta, Parsvanatha and the twenty-four
Tirthankaras. Thus King Ballaja II gave the village Bammeyanahalli for the
temple of Parsvanatha set up by Achladevi, granted the village Bekka for
the worship of Gommatervara, and continued the gift of village Savaneru
for the upkeep of the Chaturvimsati-Tirthankara-Basti at Sravana-Belagola.
Further, in 1176 A.D. a Jaina temple was built by a Jaina merchant who
collet iot ï¿½Vira-Ballala Jinalayaï¿½ in honour of the king, and King
Vira-Ballala I granted it a village. About twenty years later, in 1195
A.D. , Nagadeva, the minister and ï¿½Pattana-Swamiï¿½ of Ballala II, built the
Nagara Jinalaya as a disciple of Nayakirty, King Ballala II made a grant
to this temple built at his own capita Dwarasamudra ï¿½for feeding Jaina
ascetics and bringing on the eigh-fold worship of the temple.ï¿½